When we hear about PTSD, it is often in the context of military veterans returning from active duty or victims of assault. People can discount their experiences as ‘not being that bad’ and feel like they couldn’t have been traumatized. I have heard more than once, ‘Well I wasn’t [fill in the blank with a recent news story] when I was a kid so what I went through wasn’t that bad. I should be able to just get over it and move on. It was a long time ago.’ Or, ‘I wasn’t injured in the car accident; it wasn’t that bad. I shouldn’t be having these problems driving.’
People can be really hard on themselves for not being immune to the impact of an event that was a shock to them physically and emotionally. I hope to answer some questions about PTSD and why, sometimes, we can’t just ‘get over it.’
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. The event may have been an isolated occurrence (like a car accident) or it may be something that went on for a prolonged period of time (as is often the case in abuse during childhood). Symptoms may include flashbacks (feeling like you are back in the event), nightmares and severe anxiety, a generalized lack of trust, as well as intrusive thoughts about the event that you can’t make go away.
When someone goes through a traumatic event, it is a shock to the person physically, emotionally, developmentally, and often spiritually. Sometimes, people who go through traumatic events, especially isolated or shorter-term events, have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while, but they don’t develop PTSD. In the case of an isolated event like an accident, time stops in an unanticipated way that one couldn’t possibly have prepared for. It requires you to adjust and accommodate the disruption and sometimes derailment of your plans, how you see yourself and the world and your usual way of going through your life. This is not always an easy process, and with time, good self-care, and compassionate support from others, some people find their symptoms improve on their own. But this is not true for everyone.
In the case of ongoing trauma, the person is again affected physically, emotionally, developmentally, and often spiritually. One of the differences, however, is that the person cannot get away from the trauma. It’s like having a car accident nearly all day every day for weeks, months or years. Even more difficult is being a child abused by a trusted family member; the very person who is supposed to keep you safe is the source of your abuse. Studies show that living through such events actually alters the development of your brain and your neurology. It also requires you to create coping skills, behaviors and belief systems that enable you to survive a system you can’t get out of until you’re grown. Unfortunately many survivors suffer ongoing symptoms as they continue to use the same skills, behaviors and belief systems even when they are on their own. To change these things, they need to go through a healing process.
Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and help you return to or create a more satisfying life. The best news is people do recover! If your symptoms get worse rather than better or if you survived longer term abuse but are still experiencing difficulties from it, you can get help.
Consider starting therapy with one of counselors.
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